Vernon Schmidt enlisted in the Air Corps to avoid being drafted. As a sophomore in high school at the time, Schmidt began receiving military training from national guard officers at his school. He was trained to march, performed battle movements, understand the rank decorum, send and receive signals in Morse Code, and was given a brief weapons orientation. At the junior college on his high school's campus, the military build-up and training program could not be avoided. Many training flights flew over his school during the day. As a result of this training and experience, joining the military was not a big adjustment for him physically or in terms of accepting order and discipline. Upon graduating high school in 1943, Schmidt went to Hammer Field to enlist in the Air Corps like his brother.

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